Apparatus for utilizing waste-water power.



W. T. NICHOLLS.' APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING WASTE WATER POWER.

APPLICATION FILED APRzl, 1910.

983,512. Patented Feb. 7, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHE ET 1 1H5 NORRIS PETER: co, WASHINGTON. n. c,

WILLIAM T. NICI-IOLLS, OF WELLSBUR-G, WEST VIRGINIA.

APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING WASTE-WATER POWER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. '7, 1911.

Application filed April 1, 1910. Serial No. 552,912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVILLIAM T. Niel-r- OLLS, of lVellsburg, Brooke county, WVest Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Utilizing lVaste-Vater' Power, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation showing apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view partly broken away showing a portion of the apparatus on a larger scale; Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on a larger scale; Fig. 41- is a detail view of a portion of the screen or guard; Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view showing one of the shaft couplings and bearings; Fig. 6 is a detail view showing one of the wheel blades or buckets; and Figs. 7 and 8 are detail per spective views showing one way of supporting the guard or screen bars.

My invention has relation to apparatus for utilizing waste water power, and has been more particularly designed for use in generating power from the waste water flowing over navigation dams. Vast quantities of water flow constantly over these dams during all seasons of the year and with the aid of proper apparatus afford a means for developing a large amount of power. My invention is designed to provide apparatus of simple and practical character for utilizing or developing power from this source.

The nature of my invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown the preferred embodiment thereof and which will now be described, it being premised, however, that various changes can be made in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, the numeral 2 designates a dam of the usual character employed in navigable streams. In accordance with my invention, I place at the base of this dam a shaft 3, which extends continuously across the dam and which is supported at proper intervals in suitable bearings 1; Mounted on the shafts 3 are a series of power wheels 6, which, in the form shown, consist each of a number of spiders having radially extending arms to the outer end portions of which are pivoted blades or buckets 7. The shaft 3 and the wheels thereon are so located with reference to the fall of the dam that the falling water will strike upon the buckets or blades at the rear side of the wheels. These buckets or blades are in the horizontal position shown so as to receive the full impact of the falling water. As the blades move downwardly and then upwardly at the other side of the wheel, they assume the successive positions shown in Fig. 3, being substantially vertical, and therefore, offering but little resistance to water striking this portion of the wheel, which, at some seasons of the year, will be very consideable, and which would have the effect of greatly decreasing the power of the wheel, if the buckets or blades were rigid, so as to be in horizontal positions at the ascending side of the wheel. The outer edge portion 7 of each blade is hinged at 7 in order to enable the blade to pass obstructions, such as the obstruction 8, shown in Fig. 3. The inner end of each blade may have an upward extension 7 for the purpose of causing the blade to better retain the water. Each wheel is loosely mounted on the shaft 3, and is arranged to have a driving engagement therewith by means of clutch dogs 9,carried by the shaft and arranged to engage recesses 10, cut in the hubs of the wheel spiders. The end spiders. of the wheels are provided with extended hub portions having a braking portion or surface 11, which is arranged to be engaged by a brake band 12. The ends of this band are shown as having a link and lever connection 13 with an actuating motor socket 14. This socket is adapted to receive a removable lever, which can be inserted and moved to tighten the brake bands suliiciently to cause a stoppage of the wheel when the supply of water thereto is cut off in the manner hereinafter described. (See Fig. lVhen the supply of water is cut off from any wheel, the only force tending to rotate the wheel is its engagement with the shaft 3, which is rotated by the other wheels mounted thereon. Therefore, comparatively little braking force will be sufficient to stop any wheel after the supply of water is cut off and the shaft will turn loosely within such wheel, the dogs 9 riding idly within the hubs of the spiders.

For the purpose of protecting the wheels from ice, drift wood, etc., I provide the in clined guard or screen shown in the drawings, consisting of a plurality of bars 15, spaced from each other and set on edge, these bars extending from a point near the top of the dam to a point below and outside of the wheels. The bars may be supported in various ways. In the drawing, I have shown them as having dovetailed upper ends 16 (Fig. 8) which are engaged with dovetailed recesses 17, in a channel bar 18, which is secured to the face of the dam near its top and which extends across the dam. The lower ends of the screen bars are secured to a channel or beam 19, secured to suitable supports '20. These guard or screen bars effectually protect the wheel from ice, drift wood, etc., while at the same time they do not take away any appreciable amount of power therefrom, as substantially all the water will fall between these bars and on to the wheels.

- In order to cut off the supply of water from any one of the wheels, I provide a shield 21, which is preferably composed of sheet metal, and which is adapted to rest upon the upper surface of the screen or guard bars 15. This shield is preferably considerably wider than the length of one wheel and is provided on its under side or near the top with projections 22, which may be engaged with the channel 18. This shield can be dropped into position from a boat or floating derrick above the dam, and will cut ofi practically all supply of water from the wheel over which it is placed, thus permitting access to said wheel for the purpose of repairs. The shield is preferably provided with an opening 25, t-herethrough, which opening is surrounded by a guard flange 26, which gives access to a ladder 27, suspended from the under side of the shield, and by means of which a workman can descend to the wheel. For this purpose, the guard or screen bars are provided with removable sections 15, as best shown in Fig. 4.

28 designates transversely extending rods or ties which connect the screen bars at intervals, for the purpose of making a secure and rigid structure.

In order to permit lubrication of the bearings for the shaft 3, said shaft is provided with a longitudinally extending passage 3 into which a lubricant can be forced by means of compressed air or other suitable power and caused to flow through the shaft and to'communicate with the bearing surfaces at the bearings by means of radially extending oil passages 3 The shaft is made in sections united by suitable couplings, as indicated at 30 in Fig. 5. The end portions of the shaft united by these couplings are of angular cross section, so as to give the couplings a proper grip thereon, while permitting some endwise movement of the shaft sections to take care of expansion and contraction. The lubricant may be carried across the joints between the shaft sections by suitable thimbles or bushings extending across these joints such as are shown at 31 in Fig. 5.

The shaft 3 may be provided at one or both ends with a large belt pulley 32, or other suitable means for transmitting power therefrom.

The apparatus described is capable of being applied to existing dams, the curvature of the base portions of the dams as shown in Fig. 3, being particularly adapted to power wheels of the proper radius. The screen or guard arranged as described, effectually protects the wheels from injury and the shield for cutting off the supply of water from any particular wheel, together with the means provided for checking the rotation of any wheel, permits of ready repairs, or of the operation of as many wheels as may be necessary to generate the required amount of power, the other wheels remaining idle.

. It will be obvious that I may employ other forms of wheels than that shown and de scribed; that the screen or guard may be formed in various ways, and that other changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

The particular form of wheel herein shown and described will form the subject matter of adivisonal application.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for generating power, a shaft extending across the foot of a dam, a plurality of power wheels mounted on said shaft, and means whereby any wheel may be disconnected from the shaft and stopped, substantially as described.

2. In apparatus for generating power, a shaft extending across the foot of a dam, a plurality of power wheels having a clutch engagement with the shaft, and brake means whereby each wheel may be stopped, substantially as described.

3. In apparatus for generating power, a shaft extending across the foot of a dam, a plurality of power wheels having a clutch engagement with the shaft, and brake means whereby each wheel may be stopped, together with means for cutting off the fall of water upon any wheel, substantially as described.

1. In apparatus for generating power, a shaft extending across the foot of the dam, a plurality of power wheels mounted on said shaft, means for disconnecting any wheel from the shaft, and a movable shield adapted to extend in an inclined position from the top of the dam downwardly and outwardly from any one of said wheels, together with means for supporting the shield, substan tially as described.

5. In apparatus for generating power, a

power shaft extending across the foot of a dam, power wheels secured to said shaft, and an inclined guard or screen extending from the top of the dam downwardly and outwardly from the wheel and composed of a plurality of spaced bars, substantially as described.

6. In apparatus for generating power, a power shaft extending across the foot of a dam, power wheels secured to said shaft, and an inclined guard or screen extending from the top of the dam downwardly and outwardly from the wheel and composed of a plurality of spaced bars, together with a movable shield adapted to be supported by said bars and to cut oil the supply of water from any wheel, substantially as described.

7. Apparatus for the generation of power, comprising a shaft extending across the foot of the dam, a plurality of wheels mounted on said shaft, means for disconnecting any wheel from the shaft and for stopping the wheel when it is disconnected, an inclined screen or guard extending downwardly from the top of the dam over the wheels, and a movable shield arranged to be supported by the screen and to cut off the supply of water from any wheel, substantially as described.

8. In apparatus for generating power, a water wheel at the foot of a dam, and ascreen extending downwardly and outwardly from the top of the dam over said wheel, said screen being composed of spaced edgewise disposed bars, substantially as described.

9. In apparatus for generating power, a water wheel at the foot of a dam, and a screen extending downwardly and outwardly from the top of the dam over said wheel, said screen being composed of spaced edgewise disposed bars, said bars having removable sections, substantially as described.

10. In apparatus for generating power, a water wheel at the foot of a dam, a screen extendlng downwardly and outwardly from the top of the dam over said wheel, said screen being composed of spaced edgewise disposed bars, and a shield plate arranged to be supported by said bars and to cut off the fall of water on to the wheel, substantially as described.

11. In apparatus for generating power, a water wheel at the foot of a dam, a screen extending downwardly and outwardly from the top of the dam over said wheel, said screen being composed of spaced edgewise disposed bars, and a shield plate arranged to be sup ported by said bars, and to cut ed the fall of water on to the wheel, said shield having an opening therethrough surrounded by aguard wall or flange, substantially as described.

12. In apparatus for generating power, a shaft extending transversely across the foot of the dam, and bearings supported in said shaft at intervals, the shaft having a lubricant passage extending longitudinally therethrough and having branch passages communicating with the bearing surfaces, together with power wheels mounted on said shaft, substantially as described.

13. In apparatus for generating power, a valve wheel at the foot of the dam, a screen extending over the said wheel, and a removable shield arranged to be supported by said screen and to cut oif the fall of water upon the wheel, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

IVILLIAM T. NICI'IOLLS.

lVitnesses G. M. VIERS, II. M. Coawnv. 

